Monsoon Hits Thailand 2 Months Early!!!

I just came back from a 6 day holiday in Bangkok, Thailand. I actually never really slept since I came back, which was about 12 hours ago, after a 16 hour trip, been awake for about 28 hours now!! I just need to post op this thread and then hit the bed.

So lets get down to the experience I want to share with you. I landed in Bangkok on Sunday, and the Monday morning, maybe midday, I saw some rain clouds coming in as I stood at my hotel room window on the 21st floor. Just for interest's sake, I stayed in the swissotel Le Concorde.

I do have to add that in the 6 days in Bangkok, we only had one open sky day, which was yesterday. The rest of the time it is always cloudy in Bangkok.

It is actually at the end of winter, and not really rain season, so I decided to take some photos. The rain season is between May to November.
I should also add that I took these photos with my new Camera, so I didn't have all his setting figured out when I took these. I got him the day before leaving for Thailand.




And within about 5 minutes, it was pouring with rain!!



After about 10 of 15 minutes of raining, I looked down to the street, and saw this!





After the rain stopped, I went down to the get some more photos. This was right in-front of the Hotel.





The next morning this was the front page of the Bangkok Post newspaper. (I brought the newspaper back with me, and created this image from it so that I can post it up. The article is the same article on the newspaper.)



This was an massive, and out of season monsoon! I never thought I would get to see and photograph one. It was amazing and scary. Every now and then you could see and feel the windows moving in and out as the winds pull and push on them!!!

I add the following photos pulled from the Bangkok Post's website.






www.bangkokpost.com...

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

Ahhhh, it's nice to see real reporting from ground zero! Great pictures, I hope you had a lot of fun! and phun too ;-)

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: bobs_uruncle

I really thought that this would have been on ATS already! Okay maybe its not that big news, but it is for the Thai people!

a reply to: IndependentOpinion

Great reporting!

When I went there a few years ago the sun was so hot it was like a hot anvil six inches above your head so I am hoping that you, though maybe a bit wet, enjoyed the sights without the brain cooking heat.

What sights did you see? What were the high points?

STM

a reply to: seentoomuch

Maybe you can share your travel photos on ATS as well STM?

a reply to: seentoomuch

Hey STM! Good to see you again!

It was very hot indeed! The days that the sun were out, it was brain cooking hot for sure! But the humidity is what was the worst for me. The temperature is about the same as it is here in SA, but the humidity is nothing like in Thailand! I am glad we had a bit of rain to cool down the area a bit. That monsoon struck again the following day as well, but not that bad.

I'm still sorting all my photos so that I can post up thread on all the sights we saw, both tours, and random sights. I hope to get them up soon.

There was a few high point, but one real big low point

Lived there for 2 years from 1979 to 1981.

I remember quite well the first monsoon rains. Each year the streets would flood. I remember being told it's because most of them were built over canals that existed a very long time ago.

Great pics! Love seeing that they still have the samalor taxis (the 3 wheelers).

a reply to: eriktheawful

Love seeing that they still have the samalor taxis (the 3 wheelers).

I love those Tuck-Tucks!!!! But the weather wasn't that kind to them. A few of them stalled, and had to be pushed and parked on the sidewalk.




According to the newspaper article the following morning, the roads aren't supposed to flood like this. Here is the article I am referring to, I created it again from the newspaper I brought back.



Just to spare you the trouble of reading the article, here it is again.

(image description)
Si Mum Muang market staff try to drain floodwater which resulted from the thunderstorm on Wednesday, out of the market compound to a nearby canal. PATTARAPONG CHATPATTARASILL


Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra must communicate better with residents so they gain a better understanding of flash floods, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said yesterday.

The city was ill-prepared for the floodings on Wednesday, the second Downpour in two days after Tuesday’s inner-city flooding drama also caught the city by surprise. Commuters have expressed their frustration with the city’s tardy response, with some areas taking hours to drain.

Gen Prawit said it was the governor’s job to solve the water inundation problem and learn to convey messages to the public. “If [people] understand the situation, they won’t complain,” said Gen Prawit, who was assigned by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday to oversee city flooding.
He also suggested the governor step up preventative measures to handle flooding.

Meanwhile, MR Sukhumbhand said he “was joking” when he told city residents who could not cope with floodings to “go to live on a mountain”.
The remarks drew heavy criticism on social media as residents were furious over the inundation and traffic congestion which swamped the city for two consecutive days.

The governor blamed the media for taking his remarks too seriously. He said he has ordered city officials to monitor water levels around the clock.

He again admitted to have underestimated the impact of the thunderstorm and was not well prepared for the downpours which hit the hear t of the city on Wednesday night.

The governor said he was willing to take responsibility for the mistakes over the past two days and demanded the media not criticise city staff who were working hard to keep the city dry.

All areas in the city were properly drained by 11pm on Wednesday, he said.

He insisted the city drainage system has been improved since he took the office six years ago. Many flood-prone areas in the city do not flood anymore during the rainy season, he said.

However, MR Sukhumbhand said the canals in the city haven’t been dredged as water needs to be available for formers in the east of Bangkok.
The city has already faced a drought this year. He said the city cannot overlook farmers as they are in a low-paid occupation.

City clerk Sanya Chenimit said the city was already facing a water shortage, despite this week’s storms since it was not entering the dry season.